Armor & Mobility

AUG 2017

Military magazines in the United States and Canada, covering Armor and Mobility, focuses on tactical vehicles, C4ISR, Special Operations Forces, latest soldier equipment, shelters, and key DoD programs

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Gen. Darren W. McDew is the commander, U.S. Transportation
Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. USTRANSCOM is the
single manager for global air, land and sea transportation for the
Department of Defense.
General McDew was commissioned in 1982 following his
graduation from Virginia Military Institute. He began his flying
career at Loring AFB, Maine. His staff assignments include serv-
ing as a member of the Air Force Chief of Staff Operations Group,
Air Force aide to the President, chief of the Air Force Senate Liai-
son Division and the director of Air Force Public Affairs. General
McDew served as vice director for strategic plans and policy for
the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He also served as the
commander of 18th Air Force, Scott AFB, and commanded at the
squadron, group and wing levels as well as at an Air Force direct
reporting unit. He deployed in support of ongoing operations in
Central and Southwest Asia as an air expeditionary group com-
mander and later as the director of mobility forces. Prior to his
current assignment, General McDew was the commander of Air
Mobility Command, Scott AFB.
ENSURING MULTI-DOMAIN
MOBILITY AMIDST GLOBAL
UNPREDICTABILITY
A&M: Can you speak to some of the challenges and concerns facing
USTRANSCOM?
Gen. McDew: This is truly an exciting time to be the Commander of
United States Transportation Command (USTRANSCOM). Every day,
I'm humbled by the selfless sacrifice of the more than 140,000 airmen,
soldiers, sailors, Marines, coast guardsmen, civil servants, and families
who dedicate their lives to our great Nation. This year we celebrate
our 30th Anniversary, and our team remains postured to provide
rapid power projection and deliver national objectives. Today's global
security environment is more diverse and complex than it was when
USTRANSCOM stood up 30 years ago. A resurgent Russia and a rising
China present a near-peer threat while Iran, North Korea, and violent
extremist organizations persist as regional threats. Our adversaries
are continuously seeking new ways to undercut our dominance and
counter our power projection capabilities across all domains – land,
sea, air, space, and cyber – to contest our standing as a world power.
Additionally, USTRANSCOM, unlike most other combatant com-
mands, is globally focused, and provides a multifunctional, multi-
domain, and trans-regional capability to all other combatant commands.
USTRANSCOM considers readiness across the entire Joint Deployment
and Distribution Enterprise, which includes the readiness of people
and equipment spanning all of the services and commercial industry.
We do face future readiness challenges; our global mobility platforms
are aging, especially our strategic sealift vessels and air refueling
tankers, and our U.S.-flagged commercial sealift carrier numbers are
in decline. However, with every challenge comes opportunity. The chal-
lenges I highlighted provide opportunities to cultivate our partnerships
with joint service and commercial industry, leverage both existing and
emerging technologies to maximize our capabilities, and synchronize
logistics processes in more effective ways ensuring the Joint Forces'
success on the battlefields of today and tomorrow.
A&M: How is USTRANSCOM addressing critical supply chain challenges
in the ever shifting geopolitical environment?
Gen. McDew: Dynamic geopolitics and the varying geography of
the Middle East present an ongoing challenge for logisticians and
planners, not just across land distribution channels, but across air
and sea routes as well. Various nations are vying for influence and
power while violent extremist organizations and other agitators seek
to undermine regional stability. Operations in land-locked locations
like Afghanistan complicate delivery and create limitations on our
distribution networks, which requires us to develop flexible options
to fulfill requirements. Our relationship with the Department of
State plays a significant role in helping us overcome challenges
with authorities and diplomatic clearances. Although geostrategic
challenges threaten our supply chains, USTRANSCOM leverages
the global enterprise to deliver wherever and whenever required. In
Gen. Darren W. McDew
Commander
U.S. Transportation Command
(USTRANSCOM)
LEADERSHIP PERSPECTIVE
www.tacticaldefensemedia.com 12 | Armor & Mobility | August 2017